Lighted Design Model - OKC National Memorial

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Oklahoma City National Memorial

Model Size: 21" x 33" Model Scale: 1" = 25'
The Memorial Design: Created by Hans-Ekkehard Butzer, Torrey Butzer and Steve Berg, was selected from 624 designs submitted from all 50 states and 23 countries.

The memorial has been built on a three acre site that includes the footprint of the Alfred E. Murrah Federal Building that was destroyed. The design was chosen unanimously by the

selection committee.
Model Use: This model by Architectural Models was unveiled October 25, 1998, at the nationally televised groundbreaking ceremony attended by Vice President Al Gore, US Attorney General Janet Reno and many other dignitaries. This model will be on tour much of the time and used for fundraising and public relations purposes.
Model Details: The model was designed to be easily moved from one location to another and be viewed by many people. The view to the left shows a top view looking southeast, what used to be 5th street,

replaced by the reflection pool between the gates. Dark granite stone lines the pool, making it difficult to see the bottom, but easy to see reflections on the surface.
The Journal Record Building stands on the NE corner of the Memorial site, at the front of the building is the “First Amendment” area, lined with the same sandstone used throughout the Memorial.

This park entrance first leads to the Survivor Tree. Survivor of the explosion, its location on high ground creates a natural promontory. On the model there are four lights that shine up through the canopy of the Survivor Tree.

Survivor Tree - Oklahoma City National Memorial
To the north of 5th street is the Survivor Tree, a survivor of the explosion and a symbol of the community's resilience. Its location on high ground creates a natural gathering place from which visitors can look out towards the field of empty chairs. The circular wall surrounding the tree is inscribed with quotes honoring those who helped in the rescue efforts.
" We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and

those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope, and serenity." This mission statment inscription is above the two gates facing Harvey Street and Robinson Street, the entrances to the memorial. Even though our model scale is 1" = 20' the inscription is readable in the

painted etched brass of the gate faces. On the inside of the East gate, 9:01, represents where innocence is left behind. The West gate represents the moment 9:03, where the healing in the aftermath of the tragedy begins. Together the gates frame the monument of the explosion, 9:02.

Reflection of Time in the Pool - West Gate
Since the scale thickness of the gates are only 0.10 inches it was a real challenge to light up the numbers, as seen above.

Oklahoma City National Memorial - Gates Along with the Reflection Pool and Chairs.
The water is very shallow flowing over dark reflective stone and gently over the edge disappearing into a thin channel running around the perimeter of the pool. In this channel, which defines the pool's edge, is a fiber optic cable. This was another challenge, for us to represent the fiber optic ribbon of light with a thin, smooth, unwavering light. Upon very close inspection of the pool you can even see the seams and symmetrical pattern of the cut dark stone. But, more representative of the real sight is the reflections of the loblolly pines, people walking around the pool, time numbers on the gates, and the serene, ever changing Oklahoma sky.

Reflecting Pool and Survivor Tree
In the upper photo

(above) is the East Gate with the time "9:01" illuminated. At the pool's edge is a ribbon of blue light. On the left is the Survivor Tree.

168 Empty Chairs - Oklahoma City National Memorial's soft green grass surrounds 168

chairs. At these sacred grounds' edges, tall loblolly pines stand watch over a field of 168 empty chairs, in remembrance of those who were killed.

Oklahoma City National Memorial - Chairs at Night
The chairs are constructed of a solid seat and back, mounted atop a glass base, which is inscribed with a victim's name. By day, the chairs seem to float above their translucent bases, just as memories of loved ones seem to float past at any given moment. By night, lighted glass bases accentuate the

names of those we miss. The power of 168 shining lights in the darkness is there before us, filling us with hope and inspiration, suggesting that good will prevail in the wake of such tragedy.

Oklahoma City National Memorial -
Overhead View
The arrangment of the chairs is an abstraction

of the image many have of the Murrah Building after the blast. The 168 chairs are placed in nine

rows, evoking the nine floors of the Murrah Building.
The victims' chairs are placed according to the floor on which they worked or were visiting. The row of five chairs on the western end acknowledge the five victims who were not in the Murrah Building at the time of the bombing.

On the eastern end of the Murrah Building footprint stands the only remaining or "surviving" walls from the Murrah Building. Salvaged granite panels from the Murrah Building are hung on these surviving walls, inscribed with the names of those who survived, as defined by the Mission Statement.

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